Given the rapid developments in the way we communicate, it is timely to consider the role of text in art. Muriel McGivern was both a published author and practicing artist, so it’s apt that the 2016 R & M McGivern Prize should harness the power of the painted word.

There is a vast reach throughout history where text is incorporated into painting as an aesthetic component. In contemporary painting, the use of text finds its origins in Pop Minimal and Conceptual traditions. In painting today, it assumes many forms; as found object, marker, descriptor, defacement or formal surface.

The R & M McGivern Prize was established by the will of the late Muriel Evelyn McGivern and is a legacy of Muriel’s support of the arts in Maroondah. In accordance with the will, the prize is awarded by the Perpetual Trustee Company every three years, for the painting which is the most worthy.

The $25,000 prize is awarded every three years for an outstanding, original art work in the medium of oil or watercolour painting — with the 2016 theme being Text.

Shortlisting will be conducted as a ‘blind judging’ process, meaning that the judges will not be provided with the names of artists while making the initial assessment and selection of works. Selection will be made on the basis of the perceived qualities of the submitted work and on the artist’s statement relating to the work.

The winning art work will become the property of the Maroondah City Art Collection — aiming to build a high quality collection of works for the Maroondah region…read more